Please help! The 'Average' Reception child at the end of the year

I am an English subject leader in a Primary School who is attempting to understand the EYFS profile.
If I understand the profile correctly, EYFS staff assign a different profile point to the areas of learning. From an English perspective (I know it's got a different name in the EYFS but I think you can forgive me for this), what is the national, average 'point score' or profile point that a child should have.
Is it 6 or 7?
Thanks for your help. Posted in Early Years as well.

I am an English subject leader in a Primary School who is attempting to understand the EYFS profile.
If I understand the profile correctly, EYFS staff assign a different profile point to the areas of learning. From an English perspective (I know it's got a different name in the EYFS but I think you can forgive me for this), what is the national, average 'point score' or profile point that a child should have.
Is it 6 or 7?
Thanks for your help. Posted in Early Years as well.

The average child will achieve 6 of the 9 scale points - that can be points 1-6 achieved, or it could be 1,2,3,6,7,8, or 1,2,3,4,6,7, etc. The first three points are sequential and developmental (demonstrating a basic understanding in that area) and have to be attained to get a score higher than 3, but points 4-8 can be attained in any order - a child gaining 6 in reading for example, could be very good at the mechanics of reading by getting 1,2,3,4,6,8 or could understand books very well, but not necessarily 'get' reading by getting 1,2,3,5,7,8. This is one reason why, when looking at data, it is vital to look at which points have been attained, not necessarily just the 'score'.
Good luck, it's not easy as a KS2 (or sometimes KS1 in my experience) teacher looking at EYFSP data - I've been teaching Rec./Y1 for 5 years, and it's still not straightforward!

I know that MSZ, but the OP was talking about an average child; an average child will not be awarded points 4-8 without attaining 1-3....it's dfficult enough to prove that a SEN child should, well, it is in my LA anyway, because without the basics of points 1-3, the child does not demonstrate a basic understanding of that area as a whole. For example, I had an ASD child who knew numbers up to 100, but didn't really know what they meant, so even though she knew the numbers as labels, she had no idea of the abstract concept of their application and use.

I think the OP has asked a question that doesn't have a simple answer of an "average" score.
I would suggest she needs to have a look at the QCDA site to gain a better understanding of the EYFSP and to remember that it isn't enough to say that the acquisition of 6 scale points is indicative as an acceptable basis for the next stage; it depends upon the particular scale points achieved because the idea that 6 is average has become one of those misleading "truths"

Most English Co-ordinators only need a basic knowledge of the profile in all honesty, as most schools of a reasonable size will have a FS Leader and/or members of the SMT looking at the EYFSP data. I would suggest (having been corrected) to look at 6-7 points acheived as an average score, and as I already said, it is vital for a subject co-ordinator to look at the actual points achieved, rather than a pure 'score'.

I'm an English Leader too, but up until I took over that role, our SMT looked more closely at the English data and EYFSP data, rather than individual co-ordinators - personally, I think it's more part of the EYFS Leader's job to worry about this issue of 'average', rather than the English Leader.
We work on a far more individual basis at my school, so using the national average is only relevant for us when looking at the data at the end of the year (when comparing our scores to national data) and when talking to parents (who usually just want something more-simple to compare their child's achievement to) - I was simply trying to help someone who by their own admission didn't know much about the profile, and just wanted a basic example of what 'average' might mean ("Rome wasn't built in a day").
'We' don't use '6' to set any targets...I'm actually quite intrigued as to what you mean.

I am an English subject leader in a Primary School who is attempting to understand the EYFS profile.

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Actually, I think I'd advise you to sit with your EYFS teacher(s) to talk about the EYFSP while you get familiar with it, and get their opinion on the data....don't think you can do it on your own, if you don't really understand the way it is taught or assessed. I'm not being harsh, but as a previous Junior teacher co-ordinating a whole-school area, it is what I would have done in hindsight, now I've taught in the EY.
Good luck

I think it's important we all understand what happens in every stage if we want to ensure children's learning is effective. I hadn't taught in KS2 formany years so it was important I got a clear picture to be able to carry out my role.

1. I'm a 'He'.
2. Well, I have a lovely statement to use now:
"While there is an expectation that a child will achieve a profile point of 6 or above, this does reflect the comprehensive nature of the EYFS and individual data needs to be considered in combination with the overall point score when relating to achievement in English"
3. I have sat down with the EYFS team. You should have heard the blood curdling screams when I mentioned the expectations for phonics ...

2. Well, I have a lovely statement to use now:
"While there is an expectation that a child will achieve a profile point of 6 or above, this does reflect the comprehensive nature of the EYFS and individual data needs to be considered in combination with the overall point score when relating to achievement in English"

Click to expand...

sounds a bit vague a profile point of 6 or above in what?

dc521 said:

3. I have sat down with the EYFS team. You should have heard the blood curdling screams when I mentioned the expectations for phonics ...